


Reforging Old Links

by BarPurple



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Conversations that need to be had, F/M, Friendship, Post First Curse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-06-12
Packaged: 2018-07-14 15:52:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7178441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn't that he'd been avoiding Rumple, he'd just been sensibly avoiding the chaos that tended to surround the man,</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reforging Old Links

It had taken longer than he expected, but finally late one night after the Curse broke part of his past arrived on the doorstep, heralded by the cheerful chime of the doorbell. Jefferson glanced up the stairs and hoped Grace would sleep through whatever was about to happen. There was no doubt in his mind that she would be physically safe, but he had no assurances about her emotional safety. He cautiously opened the door. A familiar figure was waiting on the other side.

“Are you here to kill me?”

The man on his doorstep gave him a tight lipped smile at his blunt greeting and raised the hand holding a bottle of scotch.

“Not today Hatter. Fancy a drink?”

The Dark One known as Rumplestiltskin had been his sort of friend for years, but he’d never gotten to know him as Mister Gold, it hadn’t been safe to reform any of the old world connections, nothing that might bring anyone a smidgen of happiness was allowed under Regina’s Curse. Now the Curse was broken Jefferson wasn’t sure who was stood on his doorstep. Seeing his hesitation Rumple stepped forward and leaned over the threshold.

“We’re going to have to talk at some point, dearie. Best to do that while the Queen is busy, don’t you think?”

Jefferson grinned, the tilt of the head the conspiratorial whisper that was pure Rumplestiltskin, he stood back with an inviting sweep of his arm.

“Welcome to my home.”

The scotch was opened and poured in silence, not uncomfortable as such, but heavy with the weight of what needed to be discussed. There wasn’t room here for polite small talk, or the bickering that had featured so much in their conversations in the past.

“Where do we begin, Hatter?”

Jefferson didn’t respond he knew Rumple wasn’t looking for an immediate answer, just setting the stage.

“She left you with your memories?”

No need to ask who she was, there was only one person that caused that sneer on Rumple’s face. Jefferson nodded.

“She did, and a whole lifetime of fake memories from a life never lived in this bizarre realm.”

“You never challenged her?”

Jefferson snorted into his glass.

“No, my dear Spinner, I never challenged her. How could I? She held all the cards, she left me with a warning,” He tapped his finger to his head, “A tale of woe of what would be if I ever tried to convince anyone of the truth or upset her perfect town.”

Rumple sniffed, he was grudgingly impressed; Regina had shown a level of creative nastiness he’d not thought her capable of. 

“What about you? Did you know who you were?”

Rumple gave him a toothy grin; Jefferson wasn’t sure which was more off putting, the rotted teeth of the Dark One, or the uneven, gold capped grin of the pawnbroker.

“I remembered, but that was always my plan.”

Jefferson was the only person who wasn’t surprised that Rumple was the driving force behind the Curse, he’d seen some of the manoeuvring, had played a part in of some of it. He’d never asked questions but now curiosity on one detail flared within him and quelled the lurking fear, he leaned forward the half empty glass cradled loosely between his fingers.

“Having two lives in your head, how did it not drive you mad?”

That caused the Dark One to laugh; “How would I have noticed? I’ve spent centuries with multiple lives in my head, what’s one more added to the maddening throng?”

Jefferson snorted and rolled his eyes; “Good to know that this gets easier, perhaps I should annoy Regina until she curses me some more.”

The Hatter froze as his brain caught up with his words. What he’d just described had happened to Belle. Rumple’s eyes narrowed and Jefferson tried to hide his fear behind a swallow of scotch. Now they’d come to the heart of the matter, the real reason for Rumple’s overdue visit.

“You have my thanks for getting her out of there, for getting her back to me,” Jefferson acknowledge that with a cautious nod, they were on the fine edge of the blade now, “But I want to know how long did you know she was there, locked in that hellhole of a hospital?”

Jefferson told him the truth; there was no point in lying.

“Not until the Swan woman came to town. She arrived and Regina’s iron grip on everyone loosened. A little bribe and charm directed at Nurse Ratchet and I got a description of her long term inmate, knew it was Belle the second she said chestnut curls and blue eyes.”

“And still you didn’t come to me.”

The words were delivered softly, a mix a disappointment and menace. Jefferson bounced to his feet and began pacing back and forth.

“You know who had a leading role in that little warning Regina left in my head? You.”

Rumple frowned and twirled his hand for the Hatter to continue.

“Think about it, if I’d come to you and you were just Mister Gold, I’d have had Storybrooke’s feared lawyer filing charges against me for harassment, convincing Madam Mayor that it was a public service to have me committed. I can’t be locked up again. Even if you were you I couldn’t risk you siding with Regina, the relationship between you two has always been impossible for us mere mortals to comprehend. I couldn’t risk losing…”

Jefferson trailed off, his eyes flicked to the ceiling and suddenly Rumple understood everything.

“You couldn’t risk losing the ability to watch Grace, torturous as it was it was better than nothing.”

Jefferson nodded and dropped heavily into his chair. Rumple understood his pain only too well. He’d spent time with Lacey even though she wasn’t Belle in anything other than looks, purely because it let him feel like he hadn’t fully lost her again. He wouldn’t let himself think what he would have done to have a glimpse of Bae in all those long, lonely years. In all honesty he would have done exactly the same had he been in Jefferson's place. Jefferson raked his hands through his hair and took a deep breath.

“I like Belle, always have. Felt sick to my stomach when I found out where she’d been all these years,” He dragged his gaze from his fingernails and asked cautiously, “How’s she doing? With all the memories and such?”

Rumple sagged under the weight of his own thoughts. He looked smaller, weaker somehow. Jefferson blinked rapidly not trusting his own eyes, not quite believing his ears at the softer tone in Rumple’s voice.

“She’s adjusting. Has good days and bad days,” Rumple snorted, “Bad days are usually my fault, somethings never change. She’s worse off than most you know? She’s got her life in the Enchanted Forest, as well as the life of the prisoner and now all of Lacey’s memories to deal with. Twice cursed because of her association with me.”

“I could talk to her, if you’d allow it. I’m not in the same boat as her, but I’m the closest to it in this town.”

Rumple fixed him with a hard stare.

“I couldn’t forbid it if I tried, even if I wanted to. She’s Belle, she’ll do as she chooses and woe betide anyone who gets in her way. I’d like it if you two could find a friendship again.”

Jefferson gave him a weak smile. He and Belle had become friends during the time she was at the Dark Castle. Curiosity on both sides had brought them together and on occasion caused a headache for Rumple; “Just as long as we don’t try baking again, hey?”

That actually made Rumple laugh, a sound of happiness tainted by sadness, memories of a time unappreciated for the joy of the moment now viewed with bittersweet regret.

“There were bits of dried up sponge cake falling from the ceiling for weeks.”

Jefferson face split into a manic grin; “You should see some of the chaos Grace and I have caused in the kitchen here.”

Rumple shuddered to think of it, but smiled at the thought of Belle laughing as her and Jefferson and Grace tried to produce a cake that was edible and not plastered to the walls; “How is Grace?”

The Hatter’s demeanour changed instantly, his jittery nervous twitches calmed, he was no longer a man dancing along the precise of madness, Grace truly was his rock, his solid ground; “She’s great. Totally taking in her stride that she’s had twenty-nine twelfth birthdays, she’s looking forward to turning thirteen this year.”

Rumple sucked a breath through his teeth and shook his head.

“That’s a difficult age, worse for fathers of daughters so I’m told.”

There was a dark sparkle in Jefferson’s eyes, a hint of his madness and a fierceness that Rumple had never seen on his old acquaintance.

“I don’t care how difficult it is, I want to live it, one new day at a time.”

Rumple nodded slowly and raised his glass; “Here’s to one new day at a time.”

They chattered about old exploits and caught up on who had been brought across with the Curse and who hadn’t, but it wasn’t long before Rumple rose to leave. Jefferson paused at the front door, his hand on the doorknob.

“Grace has a project for school. We’ll be dropping by the library tomorrow.”

Rumple gave him a genuinely warm smile; “I’m sure the librarian will be happy to help her find the books she needs. She’s very dedicated.”

“Yes, she is, isn’t she?”

Rumple was halfway home before he realised that Jefferson perhaps wasn’t just talking about Belle’s love of books.


End file.
